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Many employers may not realize that monitoring their pharmacy benefit manager’s (PBM) performance to contract terms on a regular basis can potentially save money on their Rx benefit. Even after your contract is finalized, it’s vital that you continue to monitor your PBM's performance to catch unexpected fluctuations in what you're paying from month to month.

2016 shed light on the pharmacy benefits industry and the blurred process behind drug pricing. Knowledge is the first step toward transparency, and we move into the New Year with hope that the recent attention will bring more clarity to PBM practices - eventually leading to meaningful change.

In this blog series, I’ve discussed ways to review and improve your PBM contract, as well as achieving the best financial value from your benefit design, formulary, and specialty Rx. The next step is to help your members make informed decisions on what medications they should use, where they purchase them, and what cost effective alternatives exist. Making the right choices, with guidance, can help lower out of pocket costs and improve employee adherence to medication treatments, optimizing their health.

When reviewing a PBM contract and benefits plan, there are a few areas I always analyze to ensure maximum savings are being achieved for my clients. Areas of concern are formularies, benefits design and specialty/mail pharmacy.